Baker to allow sales tax holiday this weekend

Photo | State House News Service

Gov. Charlie Baker

by State House News Service

Gov. Charlie Baker plans to authorize a sales tax holiday for this weekend, his office said Thursday morning, but the fate of the rest of the economic development bill and a slew of others due for action Thursday remains unclear.

Baker is due to act by Saturday on the $1.15 billion economic development bond bill passed by lawmakers on the final day of formal sessions. Under the bill, Saturday is also slated to be the first of two days of a sales tax holiday.

Baker's administration said the governor plans to sign at least the provision granting the freeze of the state's 6.25 percent sales tax, but remained tight-lipped about the timing of the governor's action and how he will deal with the rest of the bills the Legislature sent him last week.

The economic development bill, in addition to authorizing more than $1 billion in borrowing, restricts non-competition agreements between employers and workers and includes protections against "patent trolling," or bad-faith assertions of patent infringement.

By Thursday, Baker must act on a stack of other bills, including the bill under which eligible citizens would automatically be registered to vote when they interact with the Registry of Motor Vehicles, unless they choose to opt out. Action is also due Thursday on a $2.4 billion environmental bond on climate change resiliency, a bill that deals with benefits for veterans and a bill related to Alzheimer's disease treatment.